


Inking of You

by Dream_Wreaver



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Maybe - Freeform, More characters to be added later, Plot Bunny, Return to Later, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-05-20 14:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14896307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver
Summary: At eighteen years of age those who can afford it are sent to get their soulmate's symbol tattooed on their body. Almost twenty years later Nathalie Sancoeur has a fulfilling life even in spite of the mark on her, one she never could quite decipher. The problem is, all signs point to her soulmate being Gabriel Agreste. But that's impossible, Gabriel already had one. Didn't he?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is (hopefully) a complete fic and and of itself. But, I did leave it open ended so I could come back and add to it at any time. Hope you enjoy!

At eighteen years old, Gabriel Agreste had gotten his first tattoo. It wasn’t necessarily that he had  _ wanted _ to get it, but it was required. The oracles lived in tattoo shops, creating the designs for soulmates. Personally, he didn’t believe in it. But his family stated that it was tradition to at the very least get one, even though theirs was a world dominated by business transaction and not soulmates, as the rest of the world was. Nevertheless. He’d gone in and gotten one.

He’d been brought before the oracle, an artist of good renown, who had very carefully studied him. Called it a reading. Gabriel called it a load of bullshit. But his family was paying for it, so he didn’t much care. After what felt like an eternity the oracle closed their eyes and began sketching. Now, that to an outsider might seem counterproductive. How could one draw with their eyes closed? Special training appeared to be the answer. The artist needed to see what was appearing in their mind’s eye, and truthfully it was only the basic outline that needed to be drawn, the colors would be added later.

Gabriel walked out that evening in incredible pain. It had been an elaborate piece. A peacock with a body of calm blue, with dark blue feathers. Its eyes had red irises and black pupils. Gabriel thought it ridiculous. And he crumpled up the symbolism sheet he’d been given to help him understand what it was he would be looking for. But as he went to throw it away something in him paused. And he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He smoothed out the paper and folded it up more neatly, then stowed it in his pocket to be put in the back corner of a drawer later.

When Nathalie Sancoeur turned eighteen years old, she’d had to been dragged to the parlor. Her family had been saving up for years so that their daughter could get her soulmate tattoo. The oracle had studied her, tilted her chin up and down and circled her like a vulture about to swoop down on its prey. They had returned to their drawing pad and had sketched something out. Several hours later Nathalie’s right shoulder was throbbing beneath the bandage as she walked out, two sheets of paper clutched in her hands. One, a sheet on proper care so that the tattoo would properly heal without running or causing infection. The other, a sheet on symbolism so that she would be able to successfully identify her soulmate when she met them. Allegedly, anyways. Nathalie didn’t put much stock in the whole soulmate thing, mostly because she had seen firsthand that marriage (which was the  _ other _ thing being pushed alongside the whole soulmate thing) could not stand on soulmarks alone. Neither could love. Love was more than just an emotion, it took time, effort. Her parents had gone through multiple instances of legal separation before finally seeing that they either needed to both work for the relationship, or end it.

Nathalie loved her parents, wished them the best, but was glad to be an adult, and away from any of that potential drama. Though, if the announcement came that they  _ were _ finally getting divorced, Nathalie would not be surprised. Still, she examined the paper, which listed her design and the colors.

Soulmate Design: Nathalie Sancoeur

Animal: Butterfly

Symbolic of: Transformation

Coloration: White bordered wings, with red and purple inlay in cloisonne form

Symbolic of: red- passion, love, power, agression, white- purity, coldness, reverence, purple- royalty, mystery, transformation, enlightenment, cruelty

For more information, please see the resources listed below

And that was where she stopped paying attention. Her parents had had complimentary designs, but as far as butterflies went all Nathalie could think of were flowers.

MLB

Almost twenty years later Nathalie was still without a soulmate, and had never been more fulfilled in her life. She had a wonderful salary and an amazing, if not stressful career. But it was the good kind of stress, the stress that wouldn't allow her to get lazy. Not when she had to juggle her boss’ two separate lives and make everything balance or. To be quite honest she was surprised she hadn't started going gray from all the stress. Gabriel Agreste was already a demanding taskmaster (especially considering she worked directly under him) but trying to hide his secret identity as the magical villain Hawkmoth? Another level of perfection expected from her.

To top it all off, trying to hide those other activities often left her as collateral damage. Since she was often sent out so Gabriel could continue to “work” (in either sense of the word) she was often caught up when an akuma decided to strike. More than once she had asked that she be forewarned about an akuma appearance so that she could find a hiding place. He had cleverly given her every word for butterfly from every language with a culture that knew what it was. It was a list she had to keep on her person at all times. Though, after a while, she didn't need to know that it meant butterfly. Rare we're the times her boss would text her instead of calling, emailing, or video chatting her. Rarer still were the times when his texts would be anything longer than the single word that was her warning.

Of course, while she didn't necessarily approve of his methods (an opinion she shared with the poor enslaved Nooroo, Kwami to the miraculous her boss wielded) she knew  _ why _ he did what he did. And given how close she was with him -as close as their professional working relationship allowed anyways- she couldn't say it didn't make sense for a man as emotionally stunted as Gabriel Agreste. He was a cold and callous man by nature. Emilie had softened that, made him seem more human.

Perhaps it was the feeling of being human he craved to have again. Nathalie had seen the fights that went on behind closed doors. A state of the art security system never forgot. For a woman like Emilie, being with Gabriel Agreste was the equivalent of living with a vampire. He fed on her affection and warmth, and more often than not left her feeling drained. He loved her, there could never be any doubt about that, and the fact that she had stayed with him until things went wrong proved that Emilie had known that. Well, she had known or she was a monumental idiot, though the one wasn't necessarily exclusionary of the other.

Or, to add another layer to it, Gabriel for all his faults  _ did _ love his son. But was too flawed a human being to be a good parent. So, he intended to bring back the half that  _ was _ . Nathalie would have gone to family counseling, but then she wasn't as out of touch with reality as her boss was at this point. And at this point, therapy wouldn't fix what had been so badly broken.

Where once Emilie had been the glue holding everything together, now there was Nathalie, with the emotional adhesiveness as dried concrete. So all she could do was pick up the pieces, a task that was getting harder and harder to accomplish when the pieces kept breaking into smaller and smaller fragments. She wondered at what point it would be that there would be nothing left but dust to sweep up. And what any of them would do then.

The funny thing was, every time Gabriel tried to fix what was broken, her shoulder would throb. A consistent beat, like a throbbing, pulsing heart. Of course, it was the same shoulder where her soulmate’s symbol rested. The symbol of a red, white, and purple butterfly. The details grew harder and harder to ignore, especially as the throbbing only correlated with akuma attacks. But that was ridiculous. Gabriel Agreste already  _ had _ his soulmate, and she'd been taken. Nowhere in the entire universe had it been told of there being two soulmates for one person. It simply wasn't done.

No, if her tattoo was throbbing, it was likely because her soulmate was adversely affected by the akuma attacks. That had to be it. And so, it was yet another thing that Nathalie ignored, just as she by and large ignored the fact that her boss was an honest to god magical supervillain. And that his son was one of the magical heroes fighting against him. The magic of editing and deleting security footage. And since she was so close she could edit the files stored on every backup server. Gabriel trusted her perhaps too much for his own good sometimes.

One would think that with all the wealth Gabriel Agreste possessed, everything he owned would never suffer from damage or failure. Those people would be wrong. When power lines went down due to a non-Akuma related incident, there was really nothing he could do short of harassing the staff already trying to remedy the situation.  It that left the entire Agreste mansion without electricity on a hot summer morning. The Gorilla has gone into the basement to check on the generators, which had been left in a state of inactivity to help lower the carbon footprint the house’s mere existence had left behind. At Emilie’s request of course, and Gabriel had never been able to deny her anything. But still, the house was sweltering. Traditionally during the summer, Nathalie wore a sleeveless turtleneck blouse beneath her blazer. Something that could go between casual and business with a simple jacket. It helped regulate her temperature once she left the cold (in more ways than one) house.

Right now, it was even more useful since it would keep her from sweating too profusely. Nathalie sat at her desk, doing as much business from her fully charged phone as she could. She turned to one side to place some files together for later inspection by Gabriel. That was he joined her in the office. The thing about Nathalie’s top was that it cut inwardar the arms, leaving part of her shoulder exposed. Gabriel didn't care about a bit of exposed skin, not in the interest of keeping cool without electricity. It was the flash of color that caught his eye. And then, the shape of the colored design. Gabriel felt his blood run cold and his heart stop dead for a beat, maybe two. Without a word he walked as quickly but casually to his desk as he could and rummaged around in his desk. Emilie hadn't liked seeing the paper which told of his soulmate’s qualities. But no matter how many times, how close he came, Gabriel had never found the strength to throw it away or otherwise destroy it. The yellowed, crinkled paper was surreptitiously pulled out and smoothed out across the desktop. What money could buy was a wondrous thing. And his family’s money had bought a bit of extra information that most people who got their soulmate tattoos did not.

At the very bottom of the paper, the only part Gabriel had ever actually bothered to  _ read _ , was a single line of information.

Soulmate’s Tattoo, Matching Design: Butterfly.


	2. Go Akumatize Yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for Gabenath week this year I decided to write stories in the Inking of You universe. Hope you guys enjoy it.

“With all due respect sir; go akumatize yourself,  _ again _ .” That was the response he had gotten when he told Nathalie he suspected they were soulmates. Granted, the revelation  _ might _ have been better received if he had simply stopped there.

Perhaps words to the effect of, “I think we might be soulmates, now help me find my missing wife,” were not the best choice. 

“Nathalie,” Gabriel tried again.

“No sir, none of this is anything I want,” Nathalie held up a hand to keep him from speaking, “I don't care about helping you find your wife, and I  _ especially _ don't care about this silly soulmate nonsense. Do you know why I  _ got _ my tattoo? Because my parents were desperate for me to have one. That is it. I never had any intention of finding someone. And  _ you _ are married. I put up with enough allowing you to cavort about in purple spandex, that is where the line is drawn. I will remain passive, I am  _ not _ getting actively involved. Especially not because you're under the misguided assumption that we are soulmates.”

“But-”

“No sir, if you want my help, you've already got all I'm willing to give. If you try and force my hand I will quit. If you fire me I will go to the police. Now, you have a meeting to prepare for. And once it is done I will expect to hear no more of this. Is that clear?”

Gabriel signed, “I'm not giving up until I convince you.”

“You'll be here a while then,” Nathalie’s voice followed him out of the room.

MLB

“What do you want?”

“What?” Nathalie was sitting at her desk. Gabriel was braced on his arms on the other side.

“What,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “Do I have to give you, so that you will help me?”

“Bold of you to assume I can be bought into villainy. What makes you think I can be convinced?”

“Perhaps logic? Let me put it to you this way, Adrien needs his mother. To get her back, I need the miraculouses. Do you want to be his handler until his eighteenth birthday?”

Nathalie remained silent and impassive. So he decided to switch lines.

“Or perhaps,” he continued, “You should look at it this way. I am utterly convinced that we are soulmates. Our tattoos are corollaries of each other. And I've grown lonely since Emilie’s been gone. But if I can't get her back, and there's a person that has been predestined by the universe to be with me, I can move on and start wooing her. The question is, do you want me to start wooing you?”

Nathalie remained silent, blinking stupidly for a few moments. Gabriel tried to read her emotions, but the problem (though most times it was an unparalleled benefit) with Nathalie was that she was incredibly good at compartmentalizing her feelings, shutting them down in the face of logic. She would reason out something in line with her feelings, but she wouldn’t actively  _ feel _ anything.

“Well?” Gabriel raised an imperious brow.

“I think,” she began slowly, “You have too much confidence in your seduction techniques sir,” it wasn’t an answer, it was a method of distracting him. And damn it all if it wasn’t working. “One thing you seem to forget is that, though we get along, I am  _ not _ Emilie. I don't think like her, I don't act like her, my personality and priorities are not the same as hers were. So whatever worked on her isn't guaranteed to work on me. And you, sir, are a creature of habit. If something works once the way you want it to, you see no reason to change your methods. To be quite honest you'll keep at it even if it  _ doesn't  _ work, hence the ceaseless string of failed akumas. Right?”

“You insubordinate-”

“I think you have your work cut out for you no matter which course of action you decide on sir. So again I state, go akumatize yourself. Maybe the Collector or whatever inane identity you give yourself this time might provide you with a bit more clarity on what you want to do.”

He stormed off and was not seen for the rest of the day. Something Nathalie counted overall as a win. As an added bonus, there were no akumas rampaging through the city, which meant the day was as peaceful and productive as she liked it.

It wasn't until she was leaving for the day that she realized her boss was nowhere in the house. Odd, since he'd become even more of a reclusive hermit since his wife’s disappearance. Her heart sank, it should have been obvious when he turned to magical terrorism, but clearly her boss wasn't the most mentally stable person in Paris. And maybe her telling him to go akumatize himself had not been one of her better ideas. Worried, more and more, she checked the safe. The grimoire was still there, as was everything related to the search for Emilie. She pressed the buttons hidden within the painting and shot down the elevator which led to his lair.

She popped into empty space. The butterflies stirred from their typical state of slumber upon her arrival. But her boss was nowhere to be found. Her hand flew to her phone, hitting the contact. His phone was off. So she called the Gorilla.

“Thomas, where is Mr. Agreste?” she didn’t bother with greeting the stoic and silent bodyguard and driver. Adrien was at school, and had fencing in the afternoon. He wasn’t leaving that building anytime soon, which meant that if Gabriel had gone anywhere needing a vehicle Thomas was the only one who would have driven him.

She received a soft grunt of surprise, which meant that he hadn’t called for his driver. Which also meant he couldn’t have possibly have gotten far. Could he have? Nathalie checked the time on her phone, he’d been gone only a couple of hours at most. And despite his residual benefits from being Hawkmoth, he was still up there in age. He couldn’t have gone as far as his resourceful teenage son would have had he been in the same position.

“Thomas, find Mr. Agreste, and if you do, report back to me. I’ll let you know if I come across him.” Nathalie disconnected the call and exited the lair.

Of all the times for him to throw a disappearing act, Nathalie huffed. And people wondered why she had never cared for the whole soulmate thing. Because she  _ knew _ that her luck was bad enough to stick her with either the most dramatic or the most annoying person in the universe. And her intuition had been right. The first thing she did was check the park. As it was arguably the closest place he could have gone. While there she ran into a man feeding pigeons. But asking him if he’d seen her boss had proven fruitless.

Next she’d found an ice cream vender, but that had been irritating in a different way. Because while she’d been trying to ask if he’d seen anyone fitting Gabriel’s description he prattled on about his ice cream for lovers, and decided he would make one bearing the image of her destined lover. It was of course, strawberry, vanilla, and blueberry, with a lavender sprig decorating the top. Okay, so maybe the universe  _ was _ saying that she was destined to be with Gabriel, but it didn’t have to be romantically, right? And even if that was what it meant, it didn’t mean she had to listen. Still, she’d somehow ended up carrying the treat with her as she searched around the Arc du Triomphe, and  _ that _ of all places was where she had found him.

“Sir,” she hurried over, he had his art supplies and a blank sketchbook that he appeared to be filling up with drawings.

He glanced up at the sound of her voice, “Ah, Nathalie, what brings you here?”

He had said it so calmly, as though he was unaware of the mental anguish and near heart attack he had given her. 

“You, you infuriating man,” she shot at him, “Why on earth would you leave the mansion? More importantly, why would you do so without notifying anyone?”

“I left a note, in the front hall,”

Ah yes, the palatial front hall where a single scrap of paper could easily go unnoticed. Nathalie checked her time, she’d been searching for nearly an hour. She sent a text to the Gorilla telling him that she’d found their employer. With a groan of frustration she sat down next to him. The ice cream was still in her hand, only partially melted at this point. Seeing no reason not to take the treat that had been given her, she viciously dug her spoon into the confection, likely while imagining it was the man next to her.

“So,” Nathalie said once she’d eaten enough to risk brain freeze, “What brought you all the way out here?”

“You said maybe being the Collector would help me decide what to do. And while I’d rather not risk that just yet, it made a certain sort of sense to me. So I decided to collect some items for a new book of inspiration. And what’s more inspiring than the City of Lights?”

Nathalie hummed in response, tucking back into her treat. “Did you figure out what you want to do then?”

“I believe I have.”

“And what is that?”

“It is a decision that I shall know, and you will simply have to find out.”

They sat there in silence, just watching the scenery of the city they called home until the sun went down. Nathalie wasn’t sure to be relieved, afraid, or annoyed by what was to come. Perhaps being indifferent as always would simply be the best solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? Leave a comment and let me know. Until next time everyone


	3. Administrative Assistant's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of Gabenath week

“Happy Administrative Assistant’s Day,” Gabriel said as Nathalie walked in to find her desk surrounded by her favorite flowers, Red Daylilies.

And when she said surrounded, she meant  _ surrounded _ . She was going to have to wade through the blooms to get to her desk. So apparently he was going for the seduction route. And he was using perhaps the flimsiest excuse one could think of in order to get away with it whenever he could.

She stared at him flatly, “Funny sir, very funny,” she deadpanned as she tried to make her way to her workspace without harming the beautiful blooms.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabriel played coy as he sat down at his desk across the room, looking over some papers, “Is it so wrong that I wish to show my appreciation for my assistant? Is it so wrong that I might think you deserve some recognition and praise considering all you do for me?”

“It’s humorous because you know that this is neither the time nor country that celebrates this sort of thing,” Nathalie argued, “And you never show your appreciation like this. It’s always brusque words with the barest minimum of approval. You wouldn’t spend money unless you thought it would help you achieve your own ends. I am not entering in a relationship with you and I am not helping you get your wife back anymore than I already am. I don’t want to be involved in this. Any of it.”

“Why not be open to a new experience?” Gabriel raised a brow at her, “I think you might find it most rewarding. Unless of course, you’re afraid.”

That stopped her in the middle of what she was doing. Her eye twitched, she knew what he was doing. He was goading her, she knew it, but she for some reason couldn’t let it rest, “Pardon?”

“I’m sure your hearing hasn’t magically declined in the last few seconds Nathalie,” Gabriel shot at her, “You heard what I said.”

“You can’t possibly be serious,” it was that this moment she remembered his residual empathic abilities. The power to sense the emotions of those within close range to him. And most of the time, that meant her. Of course, most of the time Nathalie was able to keep her head clear and her emotions compartmentalized until she was at home and about three glasses deep into a new bottle of wine.

“About what?” Gabriel tilted his head at her, “The rewards of a new experience, or your cowardice in your reluctance to take it?”

Nathalie immediately stormed over to his desk and slammed her hands down on the surface, “Let me make myself perfectly clear,” she growled, grabbing hold of his tie and jerking it so that his face was mere inches away from her own, “Whatever you plan to do, you go and do. But do not,  _ ever _ , insult me the way you just have again or I swear to whatever gods exist above I will walk right out this door with all the proof needed to put you away for a very long time, sans magical butterfly brooch. Is. That. Clear?”

He didn’t look shocked. He didn’t look threatened. He didn’t even look angry. He looked amused, it was evident in his eyes, though he tried to keep his expression as impassive as possible. He found it amusing that he was getting to her. Nathalie found it irritating that she was letting herself be bothered but she was only human. There was only so much foolishness she could take and turn the other cheek to. Her boss being a magical supervillain? Fine. his need to steal other pieces of magical jewelry to get Emilie back? Sure. The fact that he somehow figured that this was the best solution instead of stepping up as a parent and being there for his son? Absolutely dandy. But his belittlement of her on top of his attempt to have his cake and eat it too? Everyone had their final straw and apparently this was Nathalie’s.

“I said, is that clear, sir?”

“Crystal, Nathalie,” he replied.

MLB

It was only a few hours later when Gabriel said to her, “Nathalie, I have a list of errands I want you to run. Failure to complete any one of these tasks, or keep any of these appointments will result in severe discipline. And rest assured, I  _ will _ know if you have failed me. Is that understood?”

“Of course sir,”

“Good, Thomas has the directions to all appointments you will need to keep. He’s waiting for you out front.” And with that said he returned to his work.

She should have known something was up. It wasn’t like him to simply give up. Not after already putting in effort already. He was like that with the Miraculouses. Failure didn’t sit well with Gabriel Agreste. And apparently, since the flowers and the goading wasn’t successful, he was prepping her for something much bigger. She had been brought to a warehouse, one of their own she knew. One of their personal stylists, kept onsite so that customers could have ready to wear picked out from any of their collections. This particular stylist was known for only working with the most elite of their clients. The ones who weren’t  _ quite _ rich enough to commission Gabriel himself to create a wardrobe for them, but who were rich enough to afford some of the pricier things in life.

He took one look at her and rushed off into the back. He returned with several black garment bags. And Nathalie was then unceremoniously shoved into a dressing room off to the side so that their clients could try on their outfits to make sure the silhouette fit their body type properly and flattered them they way they should. Any word of protest Nathalie made was lost in the shuffle. She was stripped and put into several outfits, the stylist clicking his tongue distastefully with each successive outfit she was put in. The one he settled on was the one Nathalie didn't even get to see herself. Apart from its dark purple color.

After the dress was picked it was handed back to her in its black bag and then she was sent off to the next appointment. Well,  _ appointments _ , plural. They simply all happened to be in the same location. A ritzy spa, where she was worked on and pampered from head to toe. Manicures, pedicures, massage, and facials. And after all that? The hair stylist. Of course. She spent a good three hours out of her clothes with only a plush white robe to keep her modesty. And then, while her hair set what happened? A makeup artist came in. why not? She’d already been poked, plucked, prodded, and waxed; what was one more thing to add to this?

When all was said and done she left the spa more aggravated than ever. Not at the people who had done this to her, they were only doing their jobs after all. No, she was angry at the one who had orchestrated all of this. Gabriel just didn’t know how to go about things without being high handed and overbearing. That same attitude that had helped build his empire was going to be the very thing that destroyed it.

She was dropped off at an expensive restaurant Gabriel usually reserved for clients. Nice, perhaps if he wanted to seduce her he wouldn’t rely on tactics she knew him to use on people he thought less of but needed to deal with. She was seated at a private table in one of their far back rooms. The meal was already set up, and she was surprised to find meals and a wine she favored. When had he been able to find out all this information? Just how detailed did he ask his background checks to be? She knew he was paranoid, but really.

He was already seated, and did not rise to meet her. A waiter did pull the chair out for her. Man, being rich meant you could have others be chivalrous for you. And if he thought she would be impressed by the flashing of cash, he either forgot who she worked with or the salary he paid her.

“Really?” she raised an unimpressed brow at him, “The list of errands you needed me to run involved getting me ready for a dinner with you? You wasted time and money on this?”

“I am of the firm belief that the best things in life aren’t free, Nathalie,” was his response as he swirled his wine around in his glass, “They take work, effort, and resources. And with the way you look right now, I don’t feel as though I have wasted a thing.”

She couldn’t help the blush that appeared on her cheeks, “And what exactly do you hope to accomplish with this sir? Wining and dining hasn’t worked with any man I’ve ever dated getting his desired instant gratification. It won’t work with you either.”

“To be honest Nathalie,” Gabriel replied, “I’m not entirely sure what I want. Perhaps what I want is what you’re willing to give.”

“It’s only been a year and a half since she went missing. How are you ready to move on from that?” the answer smacked her square in the face, “And I swear if you tell me it’s because of the soulmate tattoos I will get up and leave.”

“It may surprise you Nathalie,” Gabriel parried, “To hear that I don’t care much for the idea of them either. I’m just not as vocal about it as you have been.”

“Then why bring it up?”

“I know how people can get with tradition and beliefs. If I appealed to it, perhaps it would have made you more pliable.”

“I keep your double life a secret and the company running so you can go off and play villains and heroes all day sir. How much more pliable can I get?”

“I suppose that depends on how affectionate you feel,” Gabriel shrugged, “But I digress. What do you want Nathalie?”

“I want you to drop this.”

“Without even giving it a chance?”

“I don’t believe in a single partner dictated by the universe that is given to us in pictograph format. That’s dumb.”

“Dumb it may be, but it’s a tradition that remains alive for a reason.”

“And what makes you so sure that I’m your soulmate?”

“They say that you feel an instant connection with your soulmate.” Nathalie nodded upon hearing that. The moment she had learned of the position as his assistant she had felt strangely compelled to comply. At the time she had thought it was because of the immense opportunity it was. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Gabriel continued unaware of her thoughts, “I liked you even before I had seen your credentials and, as I’m sure you’ve deduced already, the list of people I hold affection of any amount for is quite short. Had I been single when we met? I would have seriously considered a breach of conduct and asked you on a date.”

“You’ve always been attracted to me?” it was surprising to hear, and a tiny part of her hated how flattered she was.

“Found you attractive? Yes. found you engaging? Absolutely. Found you competent? Without a doubt. And for a man like me a mixture of all those things would be a heady combination, something hard to resist. There was just one thing,”

“Your family,” Nathalie nodded. She knew how, despite how poorly he showed it, Gabriel was a man devoted to his family. He didn’t go about it in the best way, but she knew a lot more about his life then the press did, so she could say that where he came from was understandable. Not acceptable, but understandable.

“Indeed,” Gabriel agreed, “But, I don’t know how to do this… this parent thing alone. Emilie was always there. She was always there and now she’s not. I want her back.”

“Then seducing me was…?”

“A way to imply your cooperation,” Gabriel answered, “I should have known though, apparently I have a type, and that type has a stubborn streak.”

“Sir, I…” Nathalie sighed, “I never thought any of this was a good idea to begin with. You are risking so much, especially if you get caught. What would Adrien think of you if he found out you were doing all of this.”

“Surely he’d understand why, he loves her just as much as I do.”

“I know that, I’m not trying to diminish that fact. But Adrien has… changed, since he’s started going to school. He’s growing and I think you should be prouder of the progress than trying to recreate the past. Either through magical jewelry or a replacement Emilie.”

“Were you under the impression that’s what I was trying to do?”

“It certainly seems that way.”

“I get so close, that I’ve had one of Ladybug’s earrings in my akuma’s clutches. Victory is well within grasp if I can just find that right person to carry it out. Nathalie, it isn’t that… there’s really no way I would be able to word this without insulting you further, something I normally wouldn’t care about but,” he shrugged, “Anyways. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want a soulmate. I want my  _ wife _ . And if you really are my soulmate, then you’re my perfect complement. You are the piece I need to finally attain victory. Is it so wrong that I’d want you on my side?”

“Were I anyone else, the answer might be yes,” Nathalie replied, “As of right now though, I just don’t know. Of course I know you miss her sir, I miss her too. And Adrien, he’s at a time in his life where he really needs a nurturing maternal presence. And for the sake of my job, I can’t be that. I need to retain an air of professional distance. And to hire someone to fill that role? It would feel hollow and empty. I get why you do what you’re doing, I support it, even though I don’t accept it. But this,” she swirled her wine around before drawing a long sip from it, “It’s a little sudden.”

“I’m at the point where it feels like I’m backed up against the wall, Nathalie.” Gabriel sighed, “I don’t know if I want the past or the future. For Adrien’s sake if nothing else, I can’t tell if I want to move on or hold on.”

“So you want to try both?” Nathalie couldn’t hold back a snort, “Say we  _ are _ soulmates. Should you succeed what does that relegate me to? Your assistant who’s also your mistress? Would you really divorce Emilie for me? And should we fail, I don’t want to feel like some sort of consolation prize. I’m worth more than that. And just being soulmates doesn’t guarantee a picture-perfect relationship. So why would I compromise everything I have for a risk that doesn’t seem to have any possible rewards?”

“Could you at least try it?” Gabriel asked, “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

“You want a trial run? As your lover or your partner?”

“Both,” Gabriel answered.

“And what exactly do I get in return?” Nathalie raised a brow at him.

“The only thing I think I could really offer you, honesty.” Gabriel sighed, “I’m sure you know more about me than the average public. It comes with the territory. All the same my private life has always been private, and I’m sure you’d better understand my motivations if you knew more about me. The man beneath the magical mask, so to speak.”

“So if I asked you incredibly personal and invasive questions?”

“I would answer them, no lies, no tricks, no threats.”

“That sounds too good to be true,”

“Because there  _ is _ a caveat,”

“Of course there is.”

“I won’t answer any question surrounding Emilie’s disappearance,” Gabriel said, “Some things are just too painful to talk about.”

Nathalie thought it over. Perhaps there could be a chance to stop all this madness, to stop Hawkmoth. And at the very least, Nathalie could say she tried.

It was a sigh of defeat that left her, “Alright,” she agreed, “I’ll do it. For two weeks.”

“Two weeks?”

“Two weeks,” she affirmed, “No more and no less. Considering that someone has to keep the company running I doubt I’ll have the time to run off at the drop of a hat like I’ve afforded you. In that sense, two weeks seems like an appropriate length of time to try out both positions and see how it fits.”

“I’m not sure your practicality will ever cease to surprise me Nathalie,” Gabriel extended his hand out to her over the table.

“I’m going to consider that a good thing, sir,” Nathalie replied as she reached back. Their conjoined hands shook and the bargain was set.


	4. Role Swap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the lovely poppicock who helped me edit this and give it direction. You're the best and I love you.

It was a strange feeling, to be the one with all the power. At least concerning her dynamic with Gabriel Agreste. And yet, it was one that Nathalie feared she could get used to too quickly. Sure, when they were working she had to obey his desires and his orders, but off the clock, he belonged to her.

Which was an odd thought in and of itself. While Nathalie had seen just how much Gabriel loved Emilie, he had never been subservient to her. They had been equals in everything. It was what made the world assume they were soulmates. After all, was there any reason not to? They were evenly matched in everything. With her, their relationship had always been defined as boss and subordinate. It was clear, it was direct, it was definitive. And up until this bizzare reveal, there had never been anything that would change that. Nathalie had never  _ wanted _ it to change.

And now, well, she was the one who dictated their activities. She had set her foot down against going full villain, refusing to aid in the creation of any akuma on purpose. If someone’s feelings got hurt, that was their own business, but Nathalie was not going out of her way to be cruel or vindictive. Business was no place for emotions, and those who did not learn that had no business in that world. The fashion world most of all. And while she was aware of the second miraculous Gabriel kept in his safe, she wanted no part of it right now. It was bad enough being a normal person involved, and Gabriel had confided in her that he knew he was misusing the butterfly brooch, and that he could feel just how much it hurt Nooroo whenever he did so. But, as delusionally pragmatic as he was, he believed it justified because it was all in the service of something good. Yes, getting Emilie back was good. Not for the whole world, and certainly someone would have to pay. One of her first questions had expressed her skepticism of such immense, reality-altering power coming without cost. Gabriel had told her there was no such thing. That something of equal value would have to be given. That was the rule of equivalent exchange, and there was no getting around it.

The other half of their arrangement, on the other hand. Well, it was odd. Namely because of their aforementioned dynamic. Nathalie had a way of ignoring workplace scandals by firmly categorizing people. Those she worked with were workplace people, those she dated were dating people. The two she never allowed to mix because it could only lead to disaster. But Gabriel was surprisingly attentive. He knew better than to try and initiate anything during work hours, so the most he did would be to ask what her plans were for the evening. She’d stopped going home after the first couple of nights. They usually ate dinner together. And then she would ask questions. He’d only gone so far as kissing her, and even then only on the cheek. Nathalie wondered whether if it was because her line of questioning made him uncomfortable, he was simply rusty from years of marriage, or this was simply his method of courting. Then again, Emilie had always been the go getter of the two of them, it wouldn’t surprise her at all to find out that Gabriel was woefully inexperienced. And yet he’d thought he could seduce her? The thought made her laugh.

But as the first week passed Nathalie found herself growing more and more frustrated. It was something that nagged at her while she worked. Thankfully, he was only empathic, and not telepathic. At most, he could likely only tell that she was frustrated by something, not what it was. And given the nature of her job, plus this little dynamic shift, he would assume something else. Hopefully. The other amazingly infuriating thing about Gabriel Agreste was that he was an incredibly intelligent man. Most of the time. Other times he could be maddeningly obtuse.

And now she started to wonder if he knew that, and was doing it on purpose. He  _ was _ empathic, her frustration might amuse him to no end. Though she wasn’t sure how he thought it would help his case. Then again, maybe it wasn’t supposed to. One thing she knew about Gabriel was that sometimes the end result didn’t matter, it was the anticipation of the end result. He liked the shock, the awe, the dramatic reveal. Yes, Gabriel Agreste was, in a word, a drama queen.

“Are you feeling alright Nathalie?” Gabriel asked one day at work, “Your emotions are muted, but they seem a little off kilter.”

“I’m surprised you even care,” Nathalie shot back, perhaps more harshly than she had intended to.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked in reply, “You are my soulmate after all.”

_ Then why won’t you kiss me? _ She had come so close to blurting it out, only barely held back by biting the inside of her lip with her teeth. Nathalie Sancoeur might have normally gone for what she wanted, but her mental barrier had kept Gabriel firmly in the “boss” category for so long it was hard to break away from it. No matter how curious part of her was, no matter how much that part of her  _ wanted _ to.

Instead, she sighed and said, “It’s nothing sir, I’m just a little more stressed than usual. Don’t worry about it.”

And as usual he took her at her word and left her to her own devices. Nathalie tried to continue with her work, but it proved fruitless. She just couldn’t focus, her mind was utterly consumed by this issue she face. Nathalie stood up and began pacing, trying to sort out her thoughts. She was supposed to be the one with the power here, she was the one who was supposed to be in control. Gabriel wasn’t supposed to be in charge of anything. So why did she still feel so powerless? Where had the confidence working for a taskmaster like Gabriel gone? She was Nathalie Sancoeur and she took shit from no one.

So she made a decision. It had been a bit more difficult than she would have liked, shutting down the security system in the office while he was occupied as Hawkmoth. She was constantly worried that Ladybug and Chat Noir would make quick work of his latest akuma and he would return in a bad mood that would only grow worse when he caught her doing what she was doing. But she wasn’t, thank whatever deities above existed. She was able to snag her prize form the safe and close it, restoring the security system and editing together the footage so that nothing would seem amiss in record time. It was just as she finished the tape he came back, shoulders slumped and looking angry. Failure never did sit well with him, and failure at something of this magnitude only sat worse.

Well, with any luck he wouldn’t have time to think about failure soon enough. The next time Gabriel raced to his lair to transform he was so preoccupied with the chance at a new akuma he didn’t even notice his assistant wasn’t back from the meeting she had informed him she would be leading. Nathalie was capable and competent and no matter how long it took she would get the job done.

The butterflies in his lair had already been stirring it seemed, he noted. They were just settling back into their lax positions all over the curved walls. He called for Nooroo, who liked to hide as though there was somewhere to escape notice in the singular, round room. Even cloaked in shadow as it was now, the Kwami wouldn’t evade his master. He couldn’t, being bound to the brooch meant that there was only a certain distance he could put between them without seriously injuring himself. But that was neither here nor there.

“Nooroo,” he called. Come into my web, said the spider to the butterfly, “Where exactly do you think you can hide from me? You should know by now this isn’t funny. Would you like me to force you to come out?”

As subservient as Nooroo already was, sometimes discipline was called for. And the greatest way to do this was to renounce him. What greater punishment could a Kwami face then being forced into slumber for some unknowable amount of time before being woken again, and having all hopes of a new, kind master who would wield his powers properly dashed as only Gabriel was there to greet him.

There was a sudden thunk that reverberated off the walls. The butterflies stirred to life again, fluttering around him in a startled frenzy. Gabriel felt a whisper of wind blow past him, but he was distracted with the search for his Kwami and the need to calm his instruments of evil. When they at last settled once more he called out for the Kwami to transform him. But nothing happened. Nooroo couldn’t disobey that order, it was impossible. Gabriel touched his collar, where the gentle bump of the purple stone that was his base could usually be felt. Usually, but not right now. Gone, his miraculous was  _ gone _ .

“What the-” before he could finish asking the question, low, seductive, and condescending laughter filled the room and him.

He whipped around, trying to find its source. Unfortunately the architecture of the room made the echo come from everywhere. Aside from the single spot of light where Gabriel stood the room was dark too.

“Now, now, now,” it was a feminine voice, husky, confident, and self-assured, “There’ll be none of that this evening, Mister Agreste.”

“Show yourself,” Gabriel demanded, looking a lot braver than he felt. He was without his miraculous, and someone who’d been able to snatch it right off his person was no idle threat.

The voice chuckled again, and then she stepped out into the light. Duusu’s magic could be seen immediately. The flowing skirt that clung to her hips with its daring slit. The businesslike blouse, the sensible hairstyle, even down to the piercing pink eyes that cut him to the quick. Her expression was smug, yet playful. And for the first time Gabriel understood why it was a peacock that adorned his back. She held up his brooch between her thumb and index fingers, showing off that she had it and he did not. Then she tossed it up a short distance before snatching it out of the air. When she opened her hand again it was gone.

“Give it back,” was the first thing he could say after his mouth stopped running dry and his mouth finally closed.

Her dark blue lips turned into an overdone pout. She put a finger to them thoughtfully and then asked him, “Now  _ why _ would I do a thing like that?”

“Because I employ you?” Gabriel raised an unimpressed brow, trying desperately to feel the affectation he presented. But by the gods she was glorious like this.

She hummed, drawing out the sound as that finger tapped against her lips. For a moment she almost seemed to be considering it. Her hum stopped abruptly as she gave exactly the answer he expected, “No.”

“Why?”

She stalked over to him, a bird of beauty on the prowl. He remained immobile, “Because Mister Agreste,” she purred, snaking her arms -had they always been this long?- around him, “You’re not the one in charge here. I am. And without your pretty little bauble, I’m afraid you’re entirely at my mercy.”

Another lump formed in his throat, and he tried to swallow past it. “A-and, what would you have me do?”

Her responding blink was slow and calculated. As was the slow smile of absolute satisfaction that crept over her face, lighting it with dark and thrilling promise, “Oh,” she breathed, voice softer and perhaps an octave higher, “I think I have a  _ few _ ideas.”

She took his face in her hands and kissed him. Although taken by surprise at first he quickly melted into it. The magical material felt softer than any fabric in existence under his hands. The natural electricity he felt sparking from her lips gained a new spark as he felt the magic of her transformation wash away. She didn’t break away though. And though he wanted to be consumed with her kiss, a part of him couldn’t help reaching for the pocket of her blazer for his brooch. But her hand stilled his own.

She broke away, panting a little, but still looking utterly in control as she put a finger against his lips and shook her head, “Nuh-uh,” she chided in a breathless whisper, “You’ll get it back after you’ve earned it. And to do that, any place that brooch might go you won’t be needing.”

She backed away and slipped down the singular elevator shaft he’d had installed. And for the first time, despite its speed, Gabriel couldn’t wait for it to return. If only so he could continue the chase. Role reversal indeed, but he wasn’t complaining in the slightest.


	5. Silence

They lay together in the master bedroom. The sun had long ago set and the quiet of late evening had reached its extensive tendrils over the city of light. Even those ever present lights twinkled like stars in the distance on a foggy night. His hand trailed mindless patterns, stroking over the mark of him inked into her back. She had never really thought about the connection between the butterflies on her back and her boss, the butterfly man himself. Not even after all the times she’d dug out that old piece of paper she’d received so long ago and looked at it again.

And yet, here they were now. There was so much she wanted to say, that her stealing and utilization of the peacock miraculous in no way meant that she was ready to go full supervillain, that she was worried about what Adrien might thing if or when he found out, to ask what their situation would be like if or when they managed to get Emilie back. Instead, she contented herself to enjoy the silence. Gabriel himself seemed at once satisfied and in the moment and also lost in thought. She peered at him, wishing she had her glasses on her face but not being able to muster the strength to leave his hold and retrieve them from the nightstand beside her. His breathing was even, and were it not for his open eyes and the constant motion of the hand at her back she might have thought him sleeping.

Nathalie put a hand to his chest. His own hand stilled, warming the area it had paused and leaving tingles of loss along the parts where it hadn’t. Gabriel looked at her, eyes lighting with clarity as she brought him back from whatever place in his mind he’d gone to.

“Hmm?” he hummed lazily.

“What are you thinking of?” she asked him.

“Things,” he replied evasively.

“Are you thinking about her?” Nathalie asked.

“I’m not going to answer that,” Gabriel replied.

“It doesn’t look good when you say that but I’ll bite, why?”

“Because, either I say I’m not and you don’t believe me, or I am and admitting it would be incredibly rude when I have a beautiful woman in my arms and my bed.”

“So you admit you’re thinking about her?”

“Again, if I am I’m not saying so,” Gabriel sighed, “I’m aware your opinion of me isn’t the highest, but I would like to keep it at least a modicum above rock bottom.”

“It’s alright if you think of her,” Nathalie told him, “I wouldn’t be upset about it.”

“My soulmate isn’t upset by my thinking of the woman I’m still married to while I’m in bed with her?” Gabriel raised a brow at her, “If there was a way for any person to be perfect I think you just might have found it.”

“I’m not perfect,” she lightly swatted him, “I just know this isn’t easy, for either of us. It’s been a year and a half and perhaps we’ve been forcing this when you’re just not ready.”

“If I recall you were the one resisting.”

“I was,” Nathalie admitted, “Because I have my reservations. I know how much you loved Emilie, and I know you still do. You wouldn’t be Hawkmoth otherwise, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to get her back if you don’t care about her. And I think playing around with other people’s feelings in the most literal way possible has been you trying not to deal with them. It’s been so short a time compared to how long you were together. You latched onto the idea of the miraculouses to try and retrieve her, and just as quickly you’ve latched onto the idea that we’re soulmates. It’s not a bad thing to let yourself mourn Gabriel.”

Gabriel sighed again, tightening his arm so she curled closer, “I miss her,” he admitted, “She was, incredible. I loved her more than life itself, and then Adrien came along.”

“I have to admit,” Nathalie whispered, “I thought you were crazy when you said we were soulmates.”

“Why?” Gabriel said, “Is it because I was married? You and I both know these soulmate tattoos aren't an exact science. And while, yes, it would be much easier if a name just magically appeared on someone’s back, people get overzealous and read meaning from their tattoos into the people they fancy. Lots of people have gotten married only to get divorced when they actually find their soulmate.”

“For such a faulty tradition, why do you think we continue its importance?”

“Because humans are stupid and ingrained tradition takes precedence over logic?” Gabriel replied, “but, back to the topic at hand, why did my marriage concern you?”

“It wasn't the marriage itself,” Nathalie replied, “It's the fact that you guys had been together for so long and complemented each other so well. Not to mention the tabloids, if they weren't busy making up ridiculous adultery rumors about you, touted your relationship as proof that the tattoo system works.”

“To be completely honest I never wanted this tattoo either. And neither Emilie. Thing was, out of the two of us, Emilie was the only one brave or harsh enough to do something about it.”

“I know she had a tattoo,” Nathalie continued, “I saw flashes of it on occasion.”

“Emilie took her parents’ money, went to the parlor, and told the oracle fast out she didn't want to know who her soulmate was. She wanted to decide for herself. So she selected a tattoo for herself and had them print a falsified soulmate sheet to bring home to mom and dad.”

“What exactly did she get?” Nathalie asked.

“Wildflowers,” Gabriel replied, “Something vague enough with a good number of interpretations and symbology. I had flowers added to my own shortly after we got engaged.”

“Did you now?” Nathalie tilted her head upon his shoulder, realizing that she had in fact never seen his tattoo, only felt the roughened skin beneath her hands, “Can I see it?”

“Why would you want to?”

“So I know that you haven’t been using this as a ruse simply to get in my pants perhaps?”

“Now why do you think I would go to all that trouble and risk losing my best employee over a lie?” he asked, even as he turned over to show her the ink on his back. Without her glasses Nathalie couldn’t see precise details, just the bursts and curls of colors as they flowed like a river along his spine. A peacock, he’d said.

“Some have found the risk to be worth it, and you’re nothing if not a risk taker,” Nathalie answered as she ran her fingers over the rough skin. He shuddered under her featherlight touch and turned back around.

“When it comes to business, yes, I can admit to that. But you aren’t a business asset Nathalie.”

“That has to be the most clinically romantic thing ever said in the history of speech,”

“I mean it,” Gabriel insisted, even as she began to laugh silently, “Nathalie,”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, and she almost managed to keep a straight face, but in the end it proved too much, “No I’m not. And you thought you could seduce me.”

“I did did I not?”

“How? I made the first move.”

“And you, Nathalie, are a woman who appreciates a challenge. You enjoy tackling problems head on. Not that I would mind seducing you in my own way, but that’s not necessarily what you’d respond to.”

“Really?” Nathalie raised a brow, “You think so?”

“I know so Nathalie, remember, I know everything.”

“Except how to take a hint, maybe.”

“I did it so that you could step up, and take the step you were resisting without forcing your hand,” Gabriel replied, “It was intoxicating, wasn’t it? The rush of power that fills your veins as the magic makes you more than what you once were?”

“I suppose to the wrong type of person it could be addictive,” Nathalie agreed, “I’m just not one of them.”

“True, you have yet to play much more than a temptress,” Gabriel slung an arm over her and pulled her closer, “And I must say, I’m quite a fan of your seduction techniques.”

“I’m surprised you even know what seduction is,” Nathalie teased as she placed a kiss on the corner of his lips, “Sometimes you can be remarkably obtuse.”

“Of course I know what seduction is,” Gabriel replied, sounding almost offended, “My methods of seduction are simply not what society teaches us is supposed to work.”

“Oh really?” Nathalie raised a brow at him, “And just how  _ would _ you go about seducing someone?”

“Is that a question?”

“It’s a challenge.”

He stared at her intensely, though whether it was due to her words or his lack of vision no one could be sure. At last a darkly playful smile stretched across his lips, “Very well then,” he whispered, “I’ve had fun playing your games Nathalie, and I’ve enjoyed the sounds of rapture they’ve wrought from you. But now I think it’s time I teach you to appreciate the sounds of silence.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way,” he said, leaning down to kiss her again.


	6. Hawknath

She had ended up returning to her apartment. One might think given the circumstances of both their burgeoning relationship and the fact that they were soulmates, the first thing any sensible person might do would be to move their things inside the mansion as quickly as possible. And, since she worked such long hours, more so now than ever, Nathalie even had her own room when it was just too dangerous an hour to leave or be driven. But after last night, she needed her space. And Gabriel’s house was pervasive with his presence. His presence and the ghosts of the past.

Nathalie was no fool. She knew that he missed Emilie. Who wouldn’t? She was sweet and vivacious and loving. The exact opposite of her husband. Emilie could light up a room with her smile. And Nathalie was nothing like her. If one were to compare the dynamic between any of them, Nathalie was a familiar shadow of comfort whereas Emilie had been a brilliant sun. Nathalie had loved Emilie, as much as one could professionally love a boss’ spouse, and mourned her disappearance. And she didn’t blame Gabriel for missing her, no more than she would blame Adrien for missing her.

Still, she didn’t expect it to hurt as much as it had. She had known he was still grieving even as he somehow convinced her to do this. Maybe she had been right when she worried he wasn’t ready? Nathalie didn’t know. What she  _ did _ know was that she couldn’t be around Gabriel Agreste for a little while. She needed time, and she needed space. Neither of which would normally be afforded to a CEO’s assistant. Thankfully Gabriel was a recluse and her job could be done with nothing more than a laptop, an office level printer, and an internet connection.

Was it perhaps cowardly? Maybe. But despite her name Nathalie  _ did _ have a heart, and she had feelings which could break it. She just didn’t want to be around her boss right now. So she sent in an email excusing her absence with slight illness and said she would work from home. This went on for three days. She refused his calls, preferring to communicate with him only over email, and she resolutely deleted any that had no subject line, not wanting to deal with his attempts at communication.

It was later that third night when she returned from what was supposed to be a relaxing bath only to feel something was very wrong. That instinctual sixth sense which told one that something was different about their surroundings, not enough to be visibly noticeable but enough to be felt. It wasn’t until she was in her pajamas that the problem revealed itself. There he was, in all his purple glory, sitting on her bed.

“Where did you come from sir?” Nathalie asked, an unimpressed look on her face.

“Sir?” he raised a masked brow, “Quite respectful of a villain, aren’t you?”

“I’m not playing this game with you Gabriel.”

“Gabriel? Who’s Gabriel?  _ I _ am Hawkmoth.”

“And I’m Mary, Queen of Scots,” Nathalie deadpanned.

“Look Nathalie,” Hawkmoth sighed, “I’m an empath remember? Even without the transformation I could feel your emotional distress.”

“Really? I’m surprised you didn’t pounce on the opportunity to make an akuma out of me. Or is that why you’re here now?”

“What?” he genuinely looked confused, as if the idea hadn’t even occurred to him, “No I- Look, Nathalie I figured if you were having trouble talking to Gabriel about your issues-”

“What? A villain known for his manipulation and exploitation of emotions would be a better alternative to open up to?”

“I want to know what’s wrong with you,” Hawkmoth argued, “You don’t open up to anyone!”

“Very much like  _ you _ , no?” she asked pointedly.

“Why must this be an argument?” Hawkmoth asked her, “Are you really so upset that I miss Emilie? She was my wife, the mother of my child, a person I spent nearly two decades with!”

“I-” Nathalie paused, “How did you know that?”

“Empathic Nathalie, and right now your emotions are not very well guarded, nor are they vague. You are upset that I miss her.”

“I’m not!” Nathalie exclaimed, perhaps not proving her point well in the process. She took a moment to compose herself and sighed, “I’m not,” she repeated, “I’m really not. I’m upset that I got upset about it in the first place. I know she means a lot to you, but for a moment I was irrational and-”

“Jealous?” Hawkmoth supplied.

“As I was saying,” Nathalie gave him a pointed stare as she continued, “It’s stupid of me to be upset. Soulmate or not Emilie was and still is a very important person, to  _ both _ of us. And yet, I can’t deny the precarious situation this whole mess has placed us in. the whole world thinks you and her are soulmates. Should we get her back, then what? I’m worried because these things have a tendency to spiral out of control and when the bubble finally bursts, I’ll be freefalling and hurtling straight to the ground.”

“I think you’re overthinking this,” Hawkmoth said, “None of my akumas have succeeded so far.”

“I never thought I would see the day where  _ you _ of all people framed failure as something positive.”

“Failure is a learning experience,” Hawkmoth replied, “Look, I get that your worried. But the two weeks isn’t up yet. And, as I’m starting to hope, our arrangement doesn’t have to end at all. But, if you want an escape, a place where logic doesn’t matter at all; I can provide that for you.”

“By akumatizing me,”

“I think you’d be surprised how cathartic a destructive rampage can be,” Hawkmoth chuckled, “But no,” he stood from her bed and held out a hand, “Come with me.”

Nathalie’s reluctant gaze flickered between his hand and his face for a few moments. To his credit, he never even gave off  _ one _ sign of losing patience, a virtue his civilian self was not known for. She sighed, she trusted him a lot. Perhaps too much for her own good.

The moment her hand touched his own they vanished. Nathalie felt the world fall away from under her feet and her entire being felt as though it were squished and compressed. The feeling only lasted a second and when she could see again she realized they were in Hawkmoth’s lair. At Gabriel’s house. Which while not far was still an impressive distance to traverse without the aid of a car.

“You can teleport?” she asked.

“The miraculous are capable of a great many things,” Hawkmoth replied.

“Then why the secret elevator?” Nathalie asked, “Why did you build in a device to get you to your lair when you could seal it off and only make it accessible by magic? With this option in mind it’s like asking to get caught.”

“Three things,” Hawkmoth said from his position in the shadows, while she stood in the single beam of light the window always afforded, “One; you try finding contractors to build a room with no door and only a window that isn’t meant to open wide enough for a person. Two, if I  _ had _ by some miracle managed to have a doorless room constructed it would mean needing to transform simply to get there, a far more risky option in my opinion. And three, perhaps the most important of all,” he paused and Nathalie watched a flash of purple light descend over his otherwise hidden form, “Using this power comes with a cost.”

“I, really?” she didn’t know why she had just asked that. She’d seen the price just a moment ago.

“Ladybug has her Lucky Charm, Chat Noir has his Cataclysm, Rena Rouge has her Mirage, I have teleportation. It depletes the Kwami’s energy faster than simply utilizing the weapons we are given,” she heard the quiet sounds of eating, Nooroo must have been recharging.

“I guess I’m simply surprised that making your akumas doesn’t activate that,” Nathalie remarked.

“It does,” Gabriel corrected, “When used properly the miraculous can create multiple champions at once. Misusing it means I can only create one at a time. Still, it’s less draining than teleporting anywhere. And I don’t exactly have the stamina for parkour any longer.”

“So why bring me here?” Nathalie asked, “Why tell me all this? What exactly do you have planned?”

He was silent a moment, then she heard a rustle. Gabriel stayed in the shadows, but Nooroo came forth, holding the very thing he was bound to. The brooch, which he deposited in her hand.

“Why are you giving me this?” Nathalie asked.

“I wouldn’t say I’m  _ giving _ you anything,” Gabriel replied, “I’m merely letting you borrow it for a short time.”

“You can do that?”

“Despite my hopes for any akuma’s success you cannot  _ technically _ transfer a Kwami’s power simply by stealing the artifact. Not unless their wielder renounces their position, or dies. I have no plans on killing Ladybug and Chat Noir, but hopefully losing their miraculous will be enough to renounce their positions.”

“You hope to guilt them into true failure?” Nathalie asked as she fingered the brooch.

“Not important at the moment,” Gabriel replied, “Put it on,”

“Sir I-”

“Nathalie, just put it on,” she did as I was told, “Now activate the miraculous.”

She said the transformation phrase and felt the magic wash over her. It was a different feeling than when she had done so with Duusu, who had since been returned to slumber inside Gabriel’s safe. The moment she was finished transforming it came. Like a tidal wave crashing over her. Thoughts, feelings, emotions, so raw, so powerful. And Nathalie felt like she would drown in it.

“Don’t fight it Nathalie,” Gabriel’s voice was like an anchor, a safe harbor in the screaming well she found herself deep within. She stumbled back, closer to it. He was calm, a light in the middle of a storm, “Just let the emotions wash over you. Allow yourself to get lost in the sea of emotions. You feel them as if they are your own, allow yourself to look for happy people, those who haven’t a worry in the world right now.”

She had to close her eyes so she could concentrate enough to do as he said. And it was surprisingly more difficult than she thought it might be, given how big Paris was. There were plenty of problems, plenty of strife. And then, that tiny, golden glimmer of hope, of happiness, of love. Nathalie felt it like it was her own, and for some reason she craved more of it. Would do  _ anything _ to keep the emotional high, that perfect bliss. And that frightened her beyond all belief. She forced the transformation to end and ripped the jewelry off her person.

“Take it,” she gasped, still trying to recover. She threw the tiny stone into the darkness, unsurprised when Nooroo darted off, likely caught it midair, and returned it to his master. There was once again the sound of quite rustling as Gabriel returned the brooch to its rightful -however tenuous that description fit- place. She heard his foot hit the ground and she held out a hand, “No,” she practically spat, “I don’t want to talk.”

There was silence a moment. Followed by a, “Fine,” more quiet followed, then another flash of light. The butterflies fluttered around him before settling on the walls. Hawkmoth walked out of the shadows and pulled her close to him.

“What are you-” she struggled, trying to get out of his hold.

“You said you didn’t want to talk,” Hawkmoth replied, “An empath doesn’t need to talk. So go ahead and feel, feel however you want. You’re safe, I won’t use you, I promise.”

It was nice, not having to try and convey her emotions through inadequate words. There was so much depth to feeling and emotion that simple words always turned tawdry and shallow. But Hawkmoth understood emotion on such a deep level, even though he rarely expressed it himself. Perhaps it was residual from her own transformation, but Nathalie could also feel the exact moment he noticed when her emotions changed. And true to his promise, not a word was spoken between them. It was emotion and action and feeling beyond the depth of anything ever hoped to be put to page. There was fear, there was sorrow, and deep within her heart at least, there was love.

The next thing she was really cognizant of was being pinned against the wall as the most feared villain in Paris trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. The metal felt cool under the backs of her hands, held in place by his own around her wrists. Sensation leapt like electricity at their every point of contact. And she knew, he felt her feelings like his own. She wondered if he might combust from sensory overload.  _ She _ certainly felt like she might.

Nathalie managed to break her hands free, he was only compliant because it allowed him to tug her closer to him by her hips. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. Hawkmoth apparently decided that it was too much regular effort to expend on motion. Nathalie clung to his lapels as she felt the world fall away from her once again. The transformation quickly disappeared, leaving that buzzing, tingling sensation against her lips much as had when she had done it but a short while ago. She didn’t open her eyes to find out where they were, nor if Nooroo had beat a hasty retreat to give them some privacy. Location, audience, Nathalie didn’t care about any of it. All she cared about was the man wrapped around her, feeling her emotions as if they were his own.

 


	7. Casual Friday

Casual Fridays. It was something Nathalie had really only thought enforced in businesses in America. She never understood why anyone would purposefully dress in something less professional for their profession. At least, not if that profession was business. Especially not if that profession was business within the fashion world. And yet, here she was, dressed in jeans and a purple halter top. Was it summer? Yes. Did she have the body type to pull such an outfit off? Technically so, though the point was moot since casual meant clothes one would feel comfortable in. still, Nathalie wondered why she had felt compelled to wear  _ this _ of all outfits to work today. Casual Friday or not, she still had the reputation of the Gabriel brand to uphold.

She hadn’t seen Gabriel yet today, which irritated her. There was being fashionably late, and then there was being late to the point of detriment to one’s business. And as amazing as Gabriel told her she was on a near constant basis now, she was still just one woman.

Though, maybe that was only part of her worries. The last day of their arrangement was coming up fast after all. Two weeks, how had it gone by so fast? She half-heartedly wished she’d extended the deadline out a week, or maybe a month. Nathalie wasn’t sure what decision was the right one to make. It was between her head and her heart. And no matter which one she chose, there was no guarantee Gabriel himself would feel the same way. It was a quarter to noon when he finally decided to grace the workspace with his presence. 

“Good morning Nathalie,” he greeted, immediately striding to his podium to begin the work she’d left for him.

“Barely sir,” she replied without even glancing up, intently focused on today’s list of things to be done, “You have several teleconferences scheduled for today; one with Italy, one with Tokyo, and of course one with NYC.”

“You would think in an age with such sophisticated camera technology telephones would be dead, or at the very least outmoded,” Gabriel remarked.

“I’d imagine you benefit greatly from this not being the case,” Nathalie hummed, “Since you aren’t exactly dressed as your reputation precedes today.”

“And how would you know that?” he asked, “You haven’t even looked at me once.”

“I don’t need to,” Nathalie replied, “You normally dress in a three piece suit, anything less than that would throw our clients and contacts off.”

“Why do you think you normally handle video conferences then?” Gabriel asked, “Disregarding all that though, I think my outfit wouldn’t cause too many jaws to drop. It  _ is _ casual Friday after all.”

“A declaration I never thought I would hear coming out of your mou-” she cut herself off as she looked up and saw what he was wearing. It wasn’t anything too ostentatious or crazy. He was wearing a faded blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows -inherently distracting already- and with it he paired his customary white shoes and… were those  _ jeans _ ?

“Yes,” he replied, amusement oozing out of his voice. Apparently Nathalie had spoken aloud.

She shrugged, in for a penny, in for a pound, “Since when do you wear jeans, sir?”

“On a regular basis?” he asked, “Not since the late nineties. I do prefer them on occasion if there’s nothing that calls for more formal wear.”

“Considering you never leave your house I suppose I’m more surprised you don’t dress like this more often.”

“I have to set a good example for Adrien. He should know the importance of looking good and dressing well at all times.”

“Please,” Nathalie scoffed, “You and your son could make tweed jackets fashionable.”

“Were they ever not in fashion?” he joked.

“For the general public?” Nathalie shot back, “Not since the 1920s,”

“It might be time to circulate that look back into vogue then,” Gabriel said thoughtfully, “Table that discussion for later. It’s nearly time for the call with Tokyo isn’t it?”

“No sir,” she replied, “Milan is first. It’s Friday night in Japan, remember?”

“Ah, right, seven hour time difference,” Gabriel nodded, “Alright then, Milan.”

MLB

He spent the rest of the day working diligently. Which was surprising. Given how he’d been around her lately she half expected any scrap of professionalism to go right out the window. That was why one never slept with their boss. The problem was, Nathalie hadn’t gotten as much done as she would have liked. Everything that  _ needed _ to be done was accomplished, but she prided herself on being ahead of the game so that should an emergency arise it could be handled without setting them back. Yes, she was a workaholic, but what else was new?

No, today Nathalie had been distracted by forearms of all things. One might think given how intimately she now knew him, Gabriel’s forearms would be the least distracting body part she could possibly pick. And normally, it would be. What was it about that look, the rolled sleeves of a button down that drew the eye to forearms? More importantly, what was it about that look that instantly made someone ten percent more attractive?

To top it all off, as the day had worn on he’d unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. She’d felt her pulse spike when she noticed it. If his hair had been tousled instead of… put into whatever it was he called that hairstyle Nathalie might not have been able to hold out. As it was though, work was finished, Adrien was out with friends for the evening. Now what?

“Alright,” Gabriel cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms out, trying to limber up, “That takes care of today, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Mhm,” Nathalie hummed, packing up her own things.

“Wait,” he said, “Where are you going?”

“Home, sir,” she replied, “The work day is over.”

“You’re going home, just like that?”

“Where else would I go?” Nathalie asked, “You haven’t indicated wanting to spend any time with me outside of work today.”

“I’ve been the one making plans this whole time,” Gabriel folded his arms and frowned at her and she should  _ not _ have found that look as attractive as she did, “Forgive me if I wanted to allow you the chance to choose what we did.”

“There’s no need to get upset,” Nathalie narrowed her own eyes at him, “I’m not. And I don’t know why we would even bother going out. Anything we could want to do you can have brought. Besides, it wouldn’t be good for the company’s image if we were caught together.”

“And why not?”

“Because Emilie has not been found, was not last reported to be in mortal peril, nor has been missing long enough to be declared legally dead,” Nathalie deadpanned.

“Clearly if she’s that good at hiding then she doesn’t want to be found,” Gabriel argued.

“And you’re just going to give up then?” Nathalie arched a brow at him. Gabriel didn’t reply and she knew she had him. He didn’t  _ want _ to believe that whatever had befallen Emilie was permanent. And because of that, they couldn’t be seen together. Not in public, not yet. “That’s what I thought.”

“So you’re really going home?” he sounded almost dejected. Or he  _ would _ have if he ever allowed his pride not to get in the way of open communication.

“What else can I do?” Nathalie asked, coming around her desk and leaning against it. “We  _ can’t _ get found out, not until we make a decision. Have you made yours?”

“We still have a bit more time before a decision needs to be made,” Gabriel said, “And I thought you didn’t want to start that argument today.”

“Just because I don’t want to start something doesn’t mean it won’t ever come up,” Nathalie sighed, “These soulmate tattoos, do they cause everyone this much mental anguish?”

“What if that’s how we explain it the world?” Gabriel asked.

“And how would you explain the years and years of media coverage of you and Emilie being soulmates.”

“We never actually confirmed that,” Gabriel replied pointedly, “Whenever we were asked the response we gave was that it certainly felt that way some times. How the public chooses to spin and interpret that is their own business. And if they’re wrong, then they need to be mature enough to admit it. Besides, discretion is a virtue you know.”

“One no celebrity is afforded in this day and age,” Nathalie pointed out, “Look,” she sighed, “I wish this wasn’t such an elephant in the room, but it  _ is _ and you need to accept that. I’m not going to tell you what to do. Do what you want.”

“What I want?” Gabriel mused, “Hmm....”

He strode forward and leaned against her, effectively pinning her against her desk.

“What are you doing?” Nathalie asked.

“I’m doing what I want,” Gabriel replied, whispering into her ear, “And what I want right now, is you.”

“What about your wife?” Nathalie asked, knowing it would ruin the mood.

“That is a concern for later,” he assured her, running his hands up along her arms and returning to where his mark upon her back peeped over the shirt, “ _ Much _ later,” he said, pulling back enough to let Nathalie see his dilated eyes.

“Wait, but, sir,” she argued weakly as he began to trail kisses along her neck.

“Do you know how distracted I’ve been all day?” he asked her, “Seeing you like this?”

“It’s just casual wear,” Nathalie struggled to reply.

“I’m of the mind that a beautiful woman can make a sack fashionable. And you, Miss Sancoeur, more than fit the bill. I am especially fond of your choice in legwear.”

“These jeans?” she replied, breath hitching as one of his hands moved to caress the soft material, “I’ve had them for ages.”

“I can tell,” he murmured, “The fabric is the kind of soft one can only get from multiple washings and wear. And they wear you well.”

“They wear me?”

“I assume it an honor for them,” Gabriel continued, pressing a kiss at the corner of her jaw, “To have been chosen to be worn by you at any point in time. For them to be your favorites like this though,” he kissed her again, “They must feel incredibly blessed. I know I would be.”

“You have to have the strangest manner of seduction I have ever seen,” Nathalie said as she brought his mouth back to her own.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s strange,” Gabriel argued, “So long as it works.”

Nathalie hummed, “And that it irrevocably does.”

They continued to make out like people far younger than themselves. Time passed in flux, it was either slow and languid or frenzied and fast paced. They took no notice, lost in each other. Of course it might have behooved them to realize their office door was not shut. And anyone who knew them well enough to come looking would easily walk in on them. Most of the staff had already noticed the sparks flying between them, and would neither have cared nor commented had they come across this scene. What a pity it wasn’t one of  _ those _ people.

“Father?” the single word, spoken with extreme shock and confusion cooled any ardour in an instant. What might have lingered was also quickly chased away by an equally as bewildered, “Nathalie?”

Slowly, disbelievingly, they broke apart. With equal parts hope and dread they turned to look at the interloper. The one person they might have hoped would not see them like this, especially when what exactly the nature of their relationship  _ was _ was still so unclear, even to them. For a moment, Nathalie saw only the golden hair and emerald eyes and immediately thought Emilie had returned. Not quite, but perhaps just as bad.

“What are you two doing?” the tone wasn’t accusatory, nor was it disappointed, or angry, or shocked. It just was. And it made Nathalie feel all the worse

Adrien, sweet, naive Adrien, had just caught them in the act. The only question now was, how do we explain  _ this _ away?

Casual Fridays had been an unnecessary part of business, Nathalie had heretofore believed. Now, she thought as her limbs froze and she couldn’t untangle herself from this rather compromising position no matter how much her mind screamed at her to do so -they weren’t trivial, they were downright  _ dangerous _ .


	8. Day Off

“So what did you tell him?” Nathalie asked the next day.

“I told him the only thing I could,” Gabriel sighed, “The truth, or part of it anyways.”

“Which part of the truth?” Nathalie asked with a raised brow, “The part where you're using a magical brooch to try and steal other magical jewelry?”

“No,” Gabriel sighed, “I told him the truth about his mother, and the tattoo she had. I told him that his mother didn't want fate dictating to her who she should be with, and that we fell in love, got married, had  _ him _ all of our own choice. I told him that ever since his mother disappeared I wasn't ready, I didn't  _ want _ a soulmate even though I knew I had one. And then I realized you were my soulmate and well,” he shrugged, “I decided to give fate a chance.”

Nathalie sighed, “And how did he take that?”

“Well? As far as my abilities could discern anyways. Maybe it's a facade, but he seemed supportive.”

“Gabriel,” Nathalie began, “I- what are we doing?”

“I thought we were giving this,  _ us _ a try,” Gabriel replied, “Is that not what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“And have you come any closer to giving up the miraculous?”

“I want to bring Emilie back,” Gabriel admitted, “I’m not sure I can fully move on until I have. And if there’s anyone who  _ needs _ her back, well; it’s not me, but I want to at the very least get her back for Adrien. He needs a maternal figure in his life. Are you really ready to step into that position?”

“Is that not what I’ve been doing all this time?” Nathalie asked him.

“I know you Nathalie, and no matter how much you care for my son -and I won’t deny that you do- you’ve always kept your distance. You were cordial, polite, professional. You’ve always treated him as just another part of your job. And in your situation, that’s not a bad thing. But, that’s not what Adrien needs. If you want to continue this, you need to either help me bring back Emilie, or you need to take on her role.”

“So let me ask you this, then,” Nathalie folded her arms, “Is it me you want, or a replacement for her?” 

“Nathalie,” Gabriel sighed, “Don’t go there again.”

“Well what do you expect me to think?” Nathalie asked, “You claim to want me but won’t give anything up for me? You say there’s a decision we have to make? Well,” she laughed mirthlessly, “I think it’s already been made.”

“Nathalie-”

“No,” she held up a hand, “I need to go talk with your son, and straighten all of this out. Come Monday, thing will return to how they’ve been. You can have it all once again, and you can do it without me.”

“I don’t  _ want _ to do it without you.”

“I’m not asking you to let go of Emilie,” Nathalie shook her head, “I’m asking you to let go of Hawkmoth, and that’s something you seem loathe to do.”

She turned away and immediately felt something hit her. Something small and light and at least slightly weighty as it fell to the ground with a clatter. Nathalie turned to see Gabriel adjusting his tie before turning and striding off. Instantly Nathalie scanned the floor and found the brooch. It would have been a sweet gesture, if it had the wings attached to it. Nooroo wasn’t in the brooch, which meant Gabriel hadn’t renounced him. But the fact that there had been no hesitation in him tossing it away like that, that had to mean something, didn’t it?

Nathalie tucked the piece of jewelry inside her jacket and went to talk to Adrien. 

MLB

She found him in his room, and it sounded as if he had been talking to himself.

“Adrien?” she knocked on the door before coming in. He still looked a little stunned by the news, at least, he did when he saw her.

Nathalie entered the room and sat down on his couch. She said nothing, and he seemed content to watch her from his own spot. Wordlessly, she patted the spot next to her, urging him to come and sit down. He did so without a response.

“I’m sorry,” Nathalie began, “Your father and I, that wasn’t workplace appropriate behavior. But he’s a stubborn man and-”

“Is it true then?” Adrien asked, “Are you guys really soulmates?”

“I,” Nathalie hesitated, “It’s hard to say,” she settled, “These tattoos, they aren’t crystal clear who your soulmate would be. I suppose it was the universe’s way of saying that though there was someone meant for you, you shouldn’t have to spend your whole life waiting for them to show up. I don’t know. I know that I felt an instant connection with your father the day I came in and interviewed. According to him, a little more money will reveal your soulmate’s tattoo design but not anything else.”

“So he and mom weren’t soulmates?”

“I think they were,” Nathalie replied, confusing the teenager, “I think the problem with the idea of soulmates is that the predetermination sort of sets up an expectation. You know you have someone out there, so why go out and date anyone else? Why bother explore all the options romance has to offer when you know that they’ll eventually end in heartbreak? Someday, your soulmate will come to you, and you’ll just know and everything will be wonderful. The thing is, Adrien, is that relationships, even predetermined ones, they take time and they take work. Love at first sight? It doesn’t exist, and soulmates seem to perpetuate that false ideal. Your mother, she wanted no part of that, so she didn’t get a soulmate tattoo. She chose her own destiny, she  _ made _ her own destiny, and she found love along the way. To be quite honest, all three of us never believed in the importance of the soulmate tattoo, your mother was the only one of us brave enough to do something about it.

“So yes, I believe your parents were soulmates, in a way that’s a lot more real and wonderful than some image on someone’s back could ever be.”

“So why…” Adrien looked like he was having trouble articulating his feelings. Unsurprising, given just how cold the people around him the most could be.

“Why did we start pursuing this?” Nathalie asked, “Truth be told, I don’t know. I didn’t even know Emilie had faked her soulmate tattoo until your father decided this was something worth exploring. I thought they  _ were _ soulmates, and like I said I still do. Does it make you uncomfortable? The idea of your father moving on?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien shrugged, “I miss my mom, I really do. And it makes me… upset that Father would move on I guess? I want him to be happy, but…”

“You think anyone else who comes in would be trying to replace her, right?”

Adrien nodded, “And, what if things don’t work out? What if mom comes back? What happens then?”

Nathalie sighed, “I don’t know Adrien,” she answered honestly, “You’re old enough to figure out that adults don’t always have the answers to everything. These are questions I asked myself. Along with, is this the right thing to do? And what would HR think if they found out?”

They made him laugh a little, which Nathalie counted as a good thing.

“Are you worried that you might lose someone else?” she prodded, “Is that it too?”

“It might be,” Adrien admitted, “You’ve always been there. But now things are changing and what if something bad happens?”

“I would never try to replace her Adrien,” Nathalie placed a hand on his shoulder, “You know that right?”

“I know that,” Adrien agreed, “It’s just, strange.”

“I’m sure it is,” Nathalie replied, “It was strange to hear your father saying he thought we were soulmates. I thought he was crazy, I still do, actually.”

“You…” Adrien paused a moment, “You’ve always been close to him. You’re the only one he listens to anymore. I think if there’s anyone who could make him happy, it’s you.”

“You know I care about you, right?” Nathalie asked him, “Despite how cold I seem, I do care about you.”

“I know,” Adrien nodded, “You wouldn’t have fought so that I could go to school. You’re the one who called my friends when I went missing during christmas. The one who invited them to stay. No one who didn’t care would do all that.”

“I care about you enough to consider you a major factor in this relationship, whatever it may be,” Nathalie informed him, “Soulmate or not, if you’re not comfortable with this, I’ll remain as I am.”

“No!” Adrien quickly said, “I think Father wants this, to be happy again. And I really am happy that he can be happy again, it’s just…”

“Are you upset you weren’t enough?”

Adrien looked at her, utterly shocked. Nathalie smiled and shook her head, “I’m not a fool Adrien. I know you don’t like modeling, but you do it because it makes Gabriel proud. Everything you do, you do for him. Especially since Emilie-” she quickly cut herself off and moved on, “It hurts when you can’t be enough for the people you love most. That they find solace in something, someone else. But I want you to know something else I’ve learned. Despite all his flaws Adrien, your father does love you. And if you said anything to him about not being comfortable with the idea of him and I, together, like he was with your mother, he wouldn’t pursue me. Neither of us have anything but your well being in mind.”

“I know,” Adrien nodded, “But thank you for thinking of me.”

Nathalie nodded and stood. She was about to head for the door when she felt a slight tingle in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out the brooch, it now had four wings sticking out from it. Ha hadn’t. To add to the surprise Adrien’s voice kept her there too.

“Nathalie?”

She quickly stowed the miraculous and turned around, “Yes?”

She felt his arms come around her and he buried his face into her torso, muffling his words into her clothes. The sentiment was felt all the same. So, Gabriel had made his decision. Adrien had made his. Now all that was left, was for Nathalie to make hers.

“Adrien,” she asked, “Do you know your schedule for tomorrow?”

MLB

“Well?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m surprised this brooch is inactive,” she replied as she pulled it out and handed it to him.

“What are you doing?” Gabriel asked.

“Returning this to you,” Nathalie answered, “I thought that would have been obvious.”

“Does this mean you’ve made your decision?”

“I want you to try as hard as you can to get her back,” Nathalie said, “What you want to do when you succeed, that’s your business. But I’m ready, if you need my help, then I’ll give it.”

“And where do we go from here?” Gabriel asked.

“After all this turmoil?” Nathalie asked, “I’m ready for a day off.”

“Ah, well,” Gabriel for the first time looked like he didn’t know what to do, “Feel free then,” he said lamely, “And I will see you come Monday I suppose.”

Nathalie hummed noncommittally, “We’ll see sir, we’ll see.”

Sunday morning Gabriel was woken with a start. Adrien was jumping on the bed, utterly excitable. He hadn’t done so since he was a small child. Gabriel was startled to say the least. His disorientation was not made any better by Adrien’s jubilant chatter.

“Come on Father!” he nearly exclaimed in all his excitement, “You need to get up and get dressed. Let’s go!”

“Go?” Gabriel asked blearily as he fumbled for his glasses, “Where are we supposed to be going?”

“To the park,” came a new voice, one that he instantly placed as clarity was restored to his vision. Nathalie stood in the doorway wearing a white blouse and some jeans. She had even thrown her hair into nothing more professional than a low ponytail. On one arm she held a large wicker basket, “It’s a nice day for a picnic, no?”

“Picnic?” Gabriel was confused, “Wait, don’t we all have appointments to keep today?”

“I took the liberty of rearranging the schedule last night,” Nathalie explained.

“You said you were taking a day off.”

“I am,” she answered, “And so are you. We all deserve it, don’t you think?”

Gabriel looked to his son, “Are you okay with this?”

“Nathalie invited some friends over for later,” Adrien replied, “So we can get used to…” he struggled for a word, “ _ this _ . I’m happy if you’re happy Father, even if this is a little weird for me.”

“Believe me when I say that I never expected-”

“I know Father, it’s okay. Mom would want us to be happy.”

“I,” Gabriel was nigh flabbergasted, “Yes, yes she would,” he finally admitted. He stretched his arms out to work out the kinks and said, “Alright, give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Only ten?” Nathalie raised a brow, looking to Adrien with a teasing smile, “I bet you ten euros it’ll be at least twenty.”

Adrien began to laugh, “I’ll take that bet,” he agreed as the two left the room.

Later that morning they sat on a gingham pattern blanket eating pastries courtesy of the boulangerie owned by the parents of one of Adrien’s friends. There was conversation, there was laughter, there was companionship. Nathalie had even brought along a ball she suggested they toss around. Gabriel was certain the media was going to have a field day with all the pictures they could take. But at least for now he and Nathalie weren’t looking  _ too _ cozy for speculation.

None of the three knew exactly what the future held in store for any of them. Least of all together. But then, perhaps that’s why one’s soulmate was given to them as a symbol. So that there’d still be mystery and fun. And perhaps most of all, magic.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Until next time everyone


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